Social Influence : Minority Influence Flashcards
What is minority influence?
Minority influence usually results in internalisation (a permanent change) because it is likely to result from informational social influence, and therefore represents a true conversion.
What is consistency ?
- Consistency – the minority will only be influential if they stick to their view over a period of time.
What is flexibility?
- Flexibility – There has to be a degree of flexibility, in other words, being able to adapt and not rigidly stick to an attitude or behaviour in light of contradictory information
What is commitment ?
They have to show that they are committed to opinion/behaviour. This may be demonstrated through consistency, or by a willingness to make sacrifices for the cause (e.g. being prepared to go to prison or engage in a hunger strike)
1 Evaluation of research into minority influence
There is research to support the view that consistency is an important factor in minority influence. Moscovici found that when four participants were placed in a room with two confederates who insisted a series of blue slides were green, when the confederates were totally consistent in their responses across all 36 trials, participants called the slides green 8.42% of the time. This is in comparison to 1.25% who said that the slides were green when the confederates gave green responses on only 24 out of 36 times. This supports the view that minorities can be influential, but that a lack of consistency reduces the influence of the minority.
What was the aim of Moscovici et al (1969) Blue-Green Study
Aim : To investigate the effects of a consistent minority on a majority. Moscovici (1969) conducted a re-run of Asch’s experiment, but in reverse. Instead of one subject amongst a majority of confederates, he placed two confederates together with four genuine participants. The participants were first given eye tests to ensure they were not colour-blind.
What was the procedure for Moscovici Blue - Green study?
They were then placed in a group consisting of four participants and two confederates. They were shown 36 slides which were clearly different shades of blue and asked to state the colour of each slide out loud. In the first part of the experiment the two confederates answered green for each of the 36 slides. They were totally consistent in their responses. In the second part of the experiment they answered green 24 times and blue 12 times. In this case they were inconsistent in their answers.
What was the result for Moscovici Blue - Green study?
In condition one it was found that the consistent minority had an affect on the majority (8.42%) compared to an inconsistent minority (only 1.25% said green). A third (32%) of all participants judged the slide to be green at least once.
A third (32%) of all participants judged the slide to be green at least once.
What was a conclusion for Moscovici Blue - Green study?
Minorities can influence a majority, but not all the time and only when they behave in certain ways (e.g. consistent behaviour style).
1 Evaluation of Moscovici’s study of minority influence
There are problems with the external validity of Moscovici’s study. Firstly, the sample was small and exclusively female, so we cannot assume that the rates of influence would apply equally to men. Also, the set up was very artificial and used a trivial situation. It is unlikely that participants cared very much about their answers, as judging the colour of slides is not going to represent a challenge to their established views. This could have had an impact on the way the participants reacted.
2 Evaluation of Moscovici’s study of minority influence
The study is highly controlled and therefore is useful is helping our understanding of the processes involved in minority influence. Moscovici was able to isolate the variable of consistency in the minority and demonstrate its effect on influencing the majority. This allows us to draw firm conclusions about the role of consistency in minority influence, which can then be applied to everyday life.
